My best learning experience

Welcome to you Cohort 21 Blog. This journal is an integral part of your Cohort 21 experience. Here you will reflect, share , collaborate and converse as you move through the C21 Action Plan process.

This is your first post and an opportunity to share a little bit about yourself as a learner and leader. Please respond the to the following prompts below:

1) Reflect on your own personal learning journey and K-12 education. Identify one learning experience that you can point to as having made a significant impact on some element of your own growth and development. It could be that teacher and subject that really sparked significant growth or a trip that opened your eyes to a whole new world or way of thinking or a non-catastrophic failure that you learned so much from. Briefly describe the learning experience and identify the various supports, structures, mindsets and relational ingredients that were put in place by the teacher or facilitator that directly contributed to your growth and success.

I was so fortunate to have wonderful educators throughout my academic years and can recall many impactful moments; but one that stands out is a 2D Design class where i learned how to think creatively. Creativity is often thought to be a skill we’re born with, but it was then that i understood it was a teachable skill. I felt the shift into lateral thinking and was astounded with the mind shift. The assignment tasks were designed with strict constraints and criteria. Assignments required an investigation into the solution and sharing ideas allowed us to see numerous, unique approaches.

2) What is the one Learning skill (MOE) or Approach to Learning (IB ATL) that you feel is MOST important in this day and age? How do you intentionally build it into your curriculum and develop it in your students throughout the year?

INITIATIVE: The student:
• looks for opportunities •demonstrates innovation and a willingness to take risks
• demonstrates curiosity • advocates appropriately for the rights of others

Risk taking is a criteria i like to explicitly display in the rubric.

3) Insert an image below that best captures the essence of that Learning Skill or ATL. (Click on the “Helpful WordPress Video Tutorials” link in the left hand sidebar to learn how to insert it)

4 Replies to “My best learning experience”

Thanks for this post Rosa, way to jump right in there! I really liked your comment about creativity: “Creativity is often thought to be a skill we’re born with, but it was then that i understood it was a teachable skill.” This speaks to me from an innovation point of view, because if we can teach different ways of thinking (like Design Thinking protocols) we can unlock some great ideas, thinking and learning from ourselves and our colleagues and students.
Thanks for this, and I look forward to meeting you on Saturday,
Garth.

Hi Rosa!
Creativity is such and important skill and certainly a strength that some possess in greater quanities than others but definitely something that can be taught and honed. I love that you can recognize that moment when it happened for you. It’s amazing when you can look back and pinpoint moments in our own education that changed us and made us grow. How do we authentically create those moments for our students?
Welcome to Cohort! It’s going to be a great season!
Wendy